Nearly 2,000 people from around the world have pariticipated in one of the Professional Development Training Programs we have offered since 1993. Graduates of this program serve as college presidents, senior pastors, non-profit board members, directors of development, and as volunteers.
This year there will be two international training events in Samara, Russia and in Eger, Hungary (both in the month of May). There will be a special training program in Indianapolis, IN, March 7-8. The focus will be upon the changing world of organizational development and how organizations can adapt to take advantage of the unique opportunities available in these changing times.
The cost of this seminar is $250 for the first person from an organization and $125 for each additional participant from the same organization. The event will be hosted by Grace College at their Indianapolis location. For more information and a brochure go to: https://files.me.com/ghtwombly/ucda39.
I'm challenged by people who are willing to sacrifice everything for a cause in which they believe.
I've met several people this week who have inspired me. I sometimes can imagine my life as hard and difficult only to come in contact with people who help me redefine what "hard" really means. It's one thing to grow a ministry in a society that acknowledges and appreciates what you do, it's quite another to build one of a nation's largest drug and alchool rehabilitation centers wihout any support from others and in the face of opposition by both the national government and the state church.
Constantly under the watchful eye of officials who regularly investigate for "illegal activities" this ministry has managed to grow and build a self-sustainable model that has been replicated in other countries around the world. The outcome--nearly 60% of all who come after five years maintain sobriety, are productive workers, and live fulfilling and fruitful lives.
Meet the leadership team of one of the most extraordinary success stories I have ever experienced. In the face of open opposition, God's work thrives!
A few weeks before leaving on this trip I received a kind letter from Tatiana Gorbocheva, a long-time friend who coordinated my visit to the Eurasian Theological Seminary here in Moscow.
She reminded me that while I was one of many westerners that have been invited to participate in the ministry here, I was the first to "volunteer" to come in January. There was little doubt what she meant when I stepped off the airplane at Moscow's new international airport and felt what -15 (Celsius) was like in this amazing city of 15 million.
As cold as it was outside was the warmth of fellowship of dear Christian friends. Today began with breakfast followed by an all-day session with many of the leaders of Christian ministries throughout Russia. Many of them I had met during a training program here in October. This was the follow-up session that included reports on how they had achieved some preliminary success in their work that only confirmed their desire to learn more and to go deeper.
After a day of review and diving more deeply into core concepts I will meet with each organization independently and begin to set a development agenda for the rest of this year. This is so much what I love to do and it is even more fulfilling when you experience the deep appreciation shared for helping another. Here's the group!!
This morning I boarded a train in Cesky Tesin in Czech Republic for the four-hour jouney to Prague. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, it's architectural and old world magnificence is enhanced by the inch or so of fresh fallen snow that sparkles in the evening lights.
I was met at the train station by my dear friend Jan Vales, the President of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in the city. We drove directly to the seminary to meet with his fund-raising team. On the way to the meeting, Jan handed me some notes to bring me up-to-date on the history of the school. In it he listed some of the organizations in the United States that were partnering with them in their efforts to train a new generation of Christian leaders for Eastern Europe.
I began to read the list and began laughing. On it was Overseas Christian Council in Indianapolis, a wonderful organization that provides financial assistance to national schools. I happen to serve on their Advisory Board. I noticed that they received aid from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, the graduate school where my brother-in-law teaches in Deerfield, IL. One of their church supporters was Kenosha (Wisconsin) Bible Church, the church where my wife Sue and I were married. What an incredbly small world.
My last evening in Wisla was very special. As the day drew to a close I sat around the table with the Krol family. We talked about our dreams, things that we longed to see occur that could enable us to reach more people with the mesage of the gospel. We reviewed our visits over the last two days, laughed, and concluded our time with prayer. As we prayed around the dining room table, I couldn't help but think how absolutely glorious it is to have experiences so filled with love and mutual appreciation, deep and satisfying relationships rooted in faith. When we said the final "Amen" I began to sing a song, an old song that only Henryk and I remembered the words . . . "Heaven came down and glory filled my soul." With gusto we belted out the words celebrating God's incredible love.
It reminded me of another song, one that isn't sung too much these days. We would sing it in our church as a child after celebrating communion . . ."Bless be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above."
Today was filled with meetings. Our first meeting was with the leadership team of the Christian radio ministry in the nearby town of Gleiwitz. This expansive radio ministry reaches out to much of southern Poland and in other key locations throughout the country. One of the areas where they broadcast is in the city of Auschwitz, the location of two of the concentration camps that claimed the lives of millions of Jews. It's incredible to imagine how a city known for such terrible atrocities would now be blanketed with the message of Christ's love.
What was fascinating to me was the trip later in the morning to the tower where the antenna for the radio station is perched blaring out the signal that is heard throughout much of this country. It is the tower that was the focal point of an event that launched the invasion of Poland by Nazi forces on September 1st, 1939.
On the night before (August 31, 1939) at 8:00 PM a few armed SS men dressed in civilian clothes and identifying themseles as Polish insurgents attacked the German radio station located here. This top secret operation had been planned for months by the Nazi regieme in their efforts to create provocation that would justify their invasion of Poland. A Polish inhabitant in the area had been captured and was killed at the station and left as "evidence" that the raid had been carried out by Poles who broadcast that they had commandeered the station and it was in now in their hands.
German radio stations broadcast that army troops were approaching. The governments of France and Great Britain were informed that Poland had started the war by this act of provocation. The following day, September 1st, Hitler delivered a speech where he justified the invasion of Poland in an effort to ensure the safety of Germany's western borders.
Everything in the radio station is exactly the way it was in 1939. The wooden tower, the tallest wooden construction in the world at 111 meters was built in 1935. It is conscientiously maintained and checked every year. And at the top, an antenna broadcasting the love of God to this incredible country. What a solemn reminder of an event that cost millions their lives.
Wisla, Poland is beautiful at this time of the year.
The weight of freshly fallen snow is carried with grace by the magnificent pines that dot the hillside of this magnificent mountain village. The lights illumine the broad ski trails and thousands are enjoying a break from schools and colleges to enjoy a week in the mountains.
My dear friend Henryk Krol and I boarded our plane this morning at Paris' Charles De Gaulle Airport in route to Krakow, Poland. We drove directly from the airport to Wisla, about two hours, and went immediately into a meeting with Dr. Adam Krol, the president and founder of Habitat for Humanity in Poland. Adam is Henryk's brother, one of the three children of a godly family who maintained their faith and their goldy influence along with hundreds of others in some of Poland's darkest hours. The Krol family has had a remarkable influence in this nation. Henryk began Christian radio in the Poland's southern region with seven stations and manages the Jesus. net initiaive in this country. We have meetings tomorrow with some of their leadership team, will visit Habitat for Humanity building sites, and continue to do development training with key GSO's in this area.
This was something of an exhausting day but one filled with great joy. How wonderful at the end of our day to pray together in the Krol living room, a solemn reminder once more of the glories of redemption.
Eric Celerier shared the attached video with me yesterday, just as we were leaving our meetings last evening. I loved it and it accurately reflects the passion of the Christian leaders I have met already during these initial three days of my journey.
Jesus.Net is sharing the good news of the gospel like no other organization in the world. This incredible ministry, headquartered in the eastern suburbs of Paris, is responding to pleas for help from multiplied millions each year. Yes, millions.
I met the entire day today with Eric Celerier, president and founder of Jesus.net. Other staff members participating in our day long marathon included Henryk Krol from Poland, Jan Willem from the Netherlands, and Michael Foucalult, part of the French team. Their vision statement is straight forward:
"Imagine a world with every single person having free access to the gospel; knowing God, growing in faith, and sharing their new found faith in Jesus with others."
The ingenius format utilizes the power of Google advertising. When someone seaches the internet for help to deal with personal depression, tragedy, loneliness, and a variety of other crises, the first 3-4 hits often direct them to the Jesus.net site. There they get immediate support and encouragement to help them deal with their immeidate need and are encouraged to find the power to deal with the circumstances of life in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition there are courses available like "Why Jesus?" and others professionally produced and strategically designed to guide them into a fulfilling relationship with Christ.
Outcomes are astounding. Analytics can track how many people visited the site, how long they were there, where they are from, and what areas of the site they visited. If they choose to receive Christ, they can click on a link that immediately records their decision. You actually can upload a Google Earth map and see the time a decsion was made and "see: the location where it occurred! Actual growth in church attendance can be validated in countries as a result of this truly extraordnary ministry.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is the strategic partner managing the Jesus.net sight in America. This video will describe the program and how it works:
Here's a picture of the team who huddled up most of the day as we strategized how we might expand this ministry. Go to the Jesus. net site and upload the Google application and "see" what God is doing around the world.
I'm so grateful that God has granted me the opportunity to have spent most of my life serving God. And anyone who has ever heard me speak has heard me say that ". . . at the end of the day, what we do in achieving our (personal and/or organizational) mission and vision goals will be predicated on how effective we have been in building relationships with others."
After attending church this morning, I'll go directly to the airport to board flights to Atlanta and Paris. I'll arrive in Paris at 6:00 AM (Midnight in Indianapolis) to meet with my very dear friend, Henryk Krol. Henryk will be flying in from Poland and together we will meet with the leadership team of the incredible international internet based evangelistic ministry, jesus.net.
I met Henryk at the European Leadership Forum in Eger, Hungary three years ago. We resonated immediately. I loved his passion and the gigantic vision he shares with others on the leadership team of this extraordinary ministry. Often Henryk and I would find a corner at the Hotel Eger and wade through pages of statistics and data relating to the impact this ministry has had in nearly 50 countries around the world. In Poland alone, over a million people have logged on to the site, a great percentage of them have taken the free internet course "Why Jesus?" and many of these have taken additional courses with the support of a national mentor with whom they can communicate freely and regularly. And this is the internet! Jesus.net has discovered how to leverage opportunity to build relationships that have been remarkably effective in bringing peope to faith. The result is a substantiated increase in attendance at evangelical churches throughout this wonderful country.
I can hardly wait to see the tall, hulking frame of my friend tomorrow morning. We'll begin where we left off a few months ago during a short visit to Atlanta where I flew to spend time to meet and collarborate with Henryk during a short visit to America.
But that should be of little surprise as that's the way relationships work.
I got a wonderful note this morning from one of our many Breakfast Club participants. She had heard of my forthcoming ministry trip to Europe and Russia. She asked if I could help her know how she might pray. These can be strenuous and exhausting events so I shared my itinerary and some guidelines. Perhaps you would like to pray and follow me on my journey through daily posts beginning next week.
Here's my itinerary and my prayer requests:
January 16-18--Meeting in Paris with the executive leadership team of an international project called Jesus.net. Operating in 48 countries around the world, this ministry in having a stunning impact in reaching millions of people with the messages of salvation and freedom in Christ. We will be discussing ways in which we can raise funds to expand their worldwide outreach.
January 19-21--Will be moving on to Krakow, Poland to meet with the Jesus.net leadership team for that country. We'll be discussing financial issues along with working on a strategic plan to grow and expand within local congregations.
January 22-24--Meeting at the European Leadership Forum and with another of our clients: The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Prague.
January 25-28--Traveling on to Moscow where I will be meeting with the leadership of several church denominational leaders as well as CEO's of NGO's. These will be follow up meetings from a seminar I conducted in October. I will also be at the Eurasian Theological Seminary.
Would appreciate your prayers for safety, wisdom, insight, and discernment. Everything is totally unlike the ways in which development work is done here in these varying and totally different cultures. I listen intently constantly breathing our prayers like, "Lord help me to understand what they're telling me. Help me to see beyond symptoms to identify underlying issues." These meetings are often intense and often awkward when an interpreter is required as they are in Russia. And as my wife prays, pray that I get home without hurting myself!!
For several years my wife and I lived in the Colorado Springs area. During our 12 wonderful years in Colorado we sponsored nine cadets who attended the United States Air Force Academy.
We saw these incoming students on the days before they actually entered the academy. They were some of the smartest young men and women in the country. They had survived the rigid admission process and were now about to enter one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. They were proud, sometimes arrogant, and very sure of themselves.
Six weeks later they were allowed to leave the academy to go to the home of their sponsor. In the six weeks of "basic training" they had already shown signs of changing. They complained, talked of quitting, and spent time recovering from their experience. And that was only the beginning!
Four years later we went to their graduation. They were transformed and deployed. We have tracked their lives over these last 10 years. Shortly after graduation some were flying multimillion dollar aircraft, one is managing satellite traffic 25,000 miles above the earth, and others have since left the academy and have taken their place in private industry. Each of them have had great professional success and, to a person, they demonstrate all the virtues you would want to see evident in someone representing you and your country.
In a day when many colleges are looking for warm bodies to fill vacant spaces, there are some who have long waiting lists. I've given an example here that does a great deal to discourage potential students. They talk about how tough it is, how much will be demanded, how physically and mentally taxing the experience will be, how miserable you will feel, how much you will want to quit, and that people will be constantly demanding more when you've already given them everything you have. Yet over 10,000 applications were received last year for just over 1,000 slots for the admitting class.
I'm convinced one of the reasons for the success of the academy is that they consistently deliver desirable outcomes. They know how to do it and almost 100% of graduates display them at the time of graduation and years after. So much so that when one of "our cadets" left the Air Force to move into private industry applied for a job with a major corporation he was almost immediately escorted into the office of the president. After a short interview he was told "I like academy graduates, you're hired!" Ten years later he is a vice-president.
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